A manhunt is underway after an 11-year-old girl was found dead with “stab wounds” after she vanished on her way home from school.
Louise Lasalle, from Essonne in northern France, disappeared just after 2pm on Friday after leaving André-Maurois middle school in Épinay-sur-Orge.
A large-scale operation was launched including police dogs, a helicopter and drones after her worried parents alerted authorities.
But hopes of finding the schoolgirl alive were dashed, as she was found dead just a few hour later in Parc des Templiers, less than a mile away from her school.
She had been beaten and stabbed several times, a source told BFMTV.
According to the news outlet, the girl was last seen on a pedestrian crossing wearing leggings and a hat. CCTV footage allegedly showed her heading towards a park.
An investigation for "murder of a minor under 15" has been opened, public prosecutor Grégoire Dulin confirmed.
Prosecutors stated that there was no evidence to indicate the presence of sexual violence.
An autopsy into the schoolgirl’s death was carried out on Saturday afternoon.
